As both Kelly and writer Jorge Rivas admit, it's impossible to know if all the men depicted in Kelly's 146-photos-and-counting collection are actually gay, But many of those depicted would read as "queer" to an LGBT viewer (feel free to deconstruct that in the comments) and a number of photos have telling inscriptions.

Think of Kelly's work not as clinical anthropology but the blending of art and history to reclaim a hidden legacy.

On his Flickr page, Kelly writes:

Some of these images are sure to be gay and others may not. The end result is speculative at best for want in applying a label. Not every gesture articulated between men was an indication of male to male intimacies. Assuredly, what all photographs in this book have in common are signs of Afro American male affection and love that were recorded for posterity without fear and shame.

Kelly's hope is that the images will break stereotypes and start conversations: "I want the world to see the photographs," he told No More Down Low TV. "I want the black gay community to see the photographs and men in particular so they know they have a history to be proud of."

Sent to you by curt via Google Reader:

Canadian country singer Drake Jensen came out of the closet this week with the release of a video featuring his husband which Jensen dedicated to Jamie Hubley, the gay Ottawa teen who committed suicide last October after being bullied.

"As a child I always knew there was something different about me above and beyond the gay thing. Even during the worst of the bullying I always felt I would make it through. My small town was like a pack of wolves; they sniffed out the damaged ones and turned on them. I was that wolf that was different from everybody else but I always knew God had something special in mind for me...I have been so lucky to be given so much, I have no choice but to give back. I give back through my music and through my story. I'm a homosexual musician telling my story through songs and spreading the message of love. In a perfect world, what could be wrong with that?"